Crazy or not?
by sookieandsamfan
Summary: It might be crazy, but there is no denying that Nick and Adalind have chemistry. Story takes place following events of Season 4. Adalind is carrying Nick's child. Now what? An exploration of what could be their relationship?
1. Trying something

Full disclosure: this fanfic does not account for last scene in season finale. I'm taking many liberties with the plot here – I may go back and write stories that lead up to this one shot I dreamed up following last season, but in order for this idea to exist on paper, please imagine the following:

Nick is still grieving over both Juliette and his mother; however, he finds comfort in focusing his energy on taking care of Adalind, and his child-to-be. He cannot live in his old house – too many bad memories – so he decides to rent a three-bedroom house temporarily. He invites Adalind to live with him while they are figuring everything out. They have separate rooms and plan to set the third up as a nursery. Adalind is happy to accept Nick's invitation, as she has nowhere else to go and looks forward to the help Nick can provide once the baby comes. She is about seven months pregnant (I didn't do the math based on the show timeline, so a total guess). She and Nick have been living together for almost two months and have been growing closer as friends as they are spending lots of time together – watching TV, having dinner, going to doctor's appointments, etc. I fully believe the producers and writers of the show will explore a romantic relationship between these two characters next season, which I, for one, am happy about!

Let this story begin – hope you enjoy it…

Nick was a light sleeper and practically bolted out of bed when he heard glass shattering. His panic quickly subsided when the noise was immediately followed by Adalind's voice saying, "Dammit!" There was some type of trouble brewing – but no imminent danger. Still, Nick pulled on a t-shirt in addition to the long, thin PJ bottoms he was already wearing and made his way down the hall to see what was going on.

He found Adalind crouched on the kitchen floor picking up pieces of glass. Only the light over the stove, which Adalind must have switched on in lieu of the full overhead lights, dimly lighted the kitchen. She looked up as she heard him come into the room. "You okay?" Nick asked. "Yes," she replied apologetically. "Sorry I woke you up. I'm just trying to pick up some of these pieces so I can move to get the broom." It was then Nick noticed her bare feet and realized she was not able to move for fear of cutting them. "Let me help," Nick chimed in quickly. He flipped on the overheard light so they could see what they were doing and retrieved the broom and dustpan from its spot beside the refrigerator. As he swept up around her, she stood to her feet, revealing her full pregnant belly. She was wearing a light purple nightgown with a gray robe loosely tied around her. Her long blonde hair was down, wavy and fell around her shoulders.

Nick would be lying to himself if he didn't admit how beautiful she was. And, the fact that his child was inside her belly made her all the more attractive. It was hard for him to admit, but he couldn't deny that he cared about Adalind. He wasn't sure what that meant, but it was true all the same. They had caused each other tremendous heartache – but here they were getting ready to have a baby together. She was different now that the hexenbiest side of her was suppressed. She was by no stretch perfect, but Nick had realized that she could be sweet, and she was funny, and at the end of the day, she really wanted to be a good mom. She was still so sad about not getting Diana back, and he still hoped to be able to reunite them at some point. For now, they were focusing on staying safe and getting through this pregnancy. They wanted the same thing – a happy, healthy baby boy.

When Nick had swept up enough of the glass for her to move, Adalind stepped out of the area where the shattered glass had been and wiped what was in her hands into the trashcan. Nick followed suit with was in the dustpan, and pretty soon, the floor was clean again. "There," Nick said. "All better." Adalind burst into tears, looking down at the floor, at his words. He was a bit surprised, but not completely. Her pregnancy hormones caused her to experience a wide range of emotions at both understandable and odd times, which he had seen play out several times over the past few months – she had cried most recently in a baby store when they were shopping for furniture for the nursery, which hadn't surprised him, but she had also cried earlier in the month when she burnt some popcorn, an action that normally would not lead to tears.

"Hey," he said softly, truly trying to understand. He stepped closer to her and touched her arm gently. "It's just a glass," he said. "No big deal." He had noticed that she often walked on eggshells around him. She was still afraid of him at times, which he understood, but it hurt him at same time. He was worried she might think he was upset about her breaking a glass. "I know. It's not that," she responded raising her head to meet his eyes with her own, which were brimming with tears. "Then what?" he asked genuinely. Adalind paused, clearly hesitant to respond, but then blurted out. "I have a headache and my back is killing me, and I can't sleep. All I wanted was a simple glass of water, and I can't even do that right." Nick looked at her with wide eyes not knowing quite what to say. It must be so hard to have so little control over your own body. "I'm sorry," she said quickly. "It's just the hormones talking. I'm sorry I woke you. Go back to bed." Nick ignored her. "Can you take something? Tylenol?" he asked. "Probably," Adalind said. "The doctor gave me a list of medications I could take, but I'm still worried. I don't want to do anything that will hurt the baby," she said the last sentence while touching her stomach. Nick softened even further. He was impressed by her commitment to their child. "I'm sorry you can't sleep," he said. "Why don't you go back to your room, and I'll bring you that glass of water." "Okay," she said smiling. Adalind had noted Nick's kindness toward her and was so grateful. Despite their past, she couldn't deny that Nick was a really good and caring person; she had known that for a long while.

Adalind made her way back to her bedroom. She was emerging from the restroom as Nick brought in her glass of water. He set it on her nightstand. "Thank you," she said as she walked toward the bed, picked up the water, and took a drink. Nick had decided in the kitchen that he might be able to help with more than just a glass of water, and he felt like it was his duty as her caregiver. "Can I try something else that might help?" he asked her. "Sure," she replied not quite sure what he had in mind. He sat down on the edge of her bed and patted the blanket encouraging her to sit in front of him. She did so, facing away from him. "Close your eyes," he said gently. Adalind did as he requested. Seconds later, she felt Nick gently place his fingers on either side of her head and begin rubbing her temples. She immediately felt relief and sighed loudly. It felt so good, and her whole body relaxed. "I got a lot of headaches as a teenager," Nick began quietly as he kept up his therapy. "I realize now it was because I was a Grimm, and my mind was changing to allow me to see Wesen. My Aunt- Marie used to do this for me, and I remember it helping so much."

Adalind knew she should say something back, but she was in heaven and having a hard time forming words. Finally, she managed, "This feels really good. Thank you." "You're welcome," he answered honestly and continued. After about five minutes, he dropped his hands to her shoulders and began rubbing those. "Hmmm," she muttered, and he could literally feel the tension melting away under his touch. He was glad he could help, and if he was being honest, there were worst things than touching her. He continued his massage rubbing his hands down her back firmly but gently. She allowed her head to fall forward in relaxation, and he knew he really was making a difference and helping her. In complete quiet, he massaged her back for about 15 minutes until he could feel she was really in a state of relaxation. He worked his hands back up to her shoulders, rubbed a few more times then finally, and truthfully a bit reluctantly, removed his hands. Adalind felt so much better, but when Nick lifted his hands from her, she felt sad. Though they had been getting closer recently, this act was the first one she felt was true, genuine affection, which he had initiated. "Feel better?" he finally asked, breaking the silence. "So much better," she responded and turned so she could look over her shoulder and smile at him. "That was really nice of you," she said. Nick smiled back sweetly. "Least I could do," he said back, and he meant it. She was carrying his child – no they hadn't planned on that – but it didn't make it less true. She was doing everything she could to take good care of herself and the baby, and giving her a massage was a simple way Nick could show he cared.

Nick stood up from the bed to allow Adalind to get under the covers. She slipped her robe off before she got back in, which made Nick's breath catch a bit. She was truly radiant. She climbed into bed, and he helped her pull up the covers and get settled. "Good night, Adalind," he said then surprising them both a little bent over and kissed her very gently on the forehead. It just felt right. "I hope you can get some sleep." "Good night, Nick," she replied, and reached out to quickly and gently squeeze his hand. Both were simple but meaningful gestures. They were working hard to look toward the future rather than dwell on the past, and they had committed to acting in the best interest of their child. Becoming friends – and perhaps more seemed like a natural progression. Nick smiled then left the room, turning off the light. Adalind slept well, thanks to Nick's acts of comfort.


	2. Change in the air

That night proved to be the beginning of a meaningful change – an unspoken extra level of comfort. For the next week, Nick and Adalind began to more and more allow themselves to feel comfortable around each other. They binge-watched an entire season of Game of Thrones together, shopped online and ordered some things for the baby, and ate dinner together on any night Nick wasn't working late.

One night, Nick noticed Adalind struggling to take off her shoes before sitting down on the couch and inquired about it. Once he learned her feet were swollen and sore as a result of the pregnancy he offered to give her a foot massage. She had refused at first, but he finally convinced her to stretch out on the couch and slide her feet into his lap. "I think you missed your calling," Adalind claimed as he relieved the tension in her feet. "Forget being a cop, or a Grimm. You should be a masseuse." Nick laughed as he continued his work. "I'll keep that in mind if things go south with my current professions." He continued rubbing her feet while they watched a movie. In about half an hour, he noticed her feet got much heavier, and realized she was no longer helping support them. He looked over to realize she had fallen asleep. She looked so beautiful and peaceful. As he gazed at her, it hit him. He didn't just care about Adalind because she was carrying their baby. He cared about her, and as more than a friend. It was both a frightening and comforting thought. Juliette had only been dead a few months, but he knew he'd starting grieving for her the day she became a hexenbiest, and certainly once it was clear she had embraced that lifestyle and had no interest in returning to her old self. Was it possible for him to find happiness with Adalind? It seemed like a crazy notion, but as the same time, as he sat her looking at her beautiful face and belly swollen with his child, seemed to make all the sense in the world.

He gently slipped her feet out of his lap and onto the couch. He got up, covered her with a blanket, turned off the TV, and left her to sleep. Just as he had done the night he'd given her a back massage, he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "Goodnight, Adaldind," he whispered. The next morning, he emerged from his room to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and breakfast. Adalind was busy at the stove cooking scrambled eggs, and he could see bread popped up from the toaster. "Morning," he said happily. "Morning," she said and turned to smile at him. "I made you breakfast. Hope you like eggs." "I love eggs," he responded smiling. "You didn't have to go to this trouble." "I know," she replied, "but I wanted to. It was the least I could do to pay you back for taking such good care of me and the baby." As she finished the sentence, there was an emotionally charged moment between the two of them as they held each other's gaze. Nick suddenly felt a strong urge to kiss her, but instead blinked himself out of the moment, and said, "Well, it smells great." Adalind came back to reality as well and said, "Well, sit down before it gets cold."

As they sat and dined together, Nick noted how natural it felt. They had been eating together quite often – but mostly from ordering take-out. There was something special about waking up to her cooking him breakfast. As they cleared the dishes, Adalind suddenly giggled and looked down at her stomach, and said, "Well, good morning to you too, little one." Nick looked down at her stomach too, and he could see it slightly moving from the baby kicking under her t-shirt, which was tight against her belly. "He must like eggs, too," she laughed as she patted her stomach. Nick couldn't help himself and stepped closer to her. "May I?" he asked and held his hand in her direction asking permission to touch her stomach. "Sure," Adalind responded. She was delighted her was showing interest in her and the baby. She reached out and took his hand to guide it to the right spot on her stomach. Nick could feel the baby kicking underneath his hand and smiled widely. The moment took them both back to a time that seemed long ago now – but it was actually only a few months ago. When Adalind first told Nick she was pregnant and tried to get him to feel the kicking baby he had recoiled at her touch. This morning, he had not only welcomed, but also initiated it. What a difference just a short time had made. Nick left his hand on Adalind's stomach for a few minutes just feeling their baby kick. Their eyes locked, and once again, tension filled the air. Nick once again dodged his urge, removed his hand, and said, "Well, I had better get ready for work." "Okay," Adalind said cheerfully, and went back to clearing the dishes and putting them in the dishwasher. Nick showered, dressed, and left for work. He resisted the urge to return to the kitchen as his heart was tugging him in a direction that might lead to a good-bye kiss. Instead, he just called to Adalind telling her goodbye and to have a good day. She responded in a similar, happy fashion and added – "See you tonight!" It felt natural, good, and weird all at the same time.

Nick drove to work preoccupied. Though he was actively trying not to let it happen, his feelings for Adalind were not just growing more obvious, they were growing stronger. Work had fortunately been a bit slow recently, which was a relief for Nick and his partner Hank. Today, they were actually patrolling, something they rarely had time to do. Nick was driving. After the third time Nick had to be honked at to go through a green light, Hank finally said, "You okay?" Nick shook his head trying to pull himself back to reality. "Sorry, just a lot on my mind." "Want to talk about it?" In truth, he did. Maybe Hank would understand, maybe he would tell him he was crazy, at least maybe saying it out loud would make him feel better. Nick pulled into a diner parking lot. "Let's get lunch, and I'll tell you." Hank didn't argue. They got a table in the corner that was fairly isolated and ordered lunch. As the waitress walked away, Nick just laid it all out there.

"Okay, I'm just going to say it. Here's the deal," Nick started. "I think I might be developing feelings for Adalind." Hank just looked at him calmly waiting for him to continue. "Like romantic feelings," Nick added expecting Hank would now start telling him he was crazy or his jaw would at least drop open, but he didn't even look surprised. "Well?" Nick asked. "Well, what?" Hank said. "That's nuts, right?" Nick followed up. "Well…" Hank started. "Well, what?" Nick said. "I'm not sure it's crazy," Hank said. About that time, the waitress returned with their food, so they paused a moment to let her leave it. When she was out of earshot, Hank started again while popping a fry into his mouth. "Nick, I know some terrible things have happened in the past with you two, but Adalind's a beautiful girl, and she is carrying her child. She seems different now, and actually enjoyable to be around. I'm not surprised you might like her." Nick stared at Hank blankly, shocked that his friend was being so understanding. "What?" Hank asked. "Did you want me to tell you it's a bad idea?" "I don't know," Nick answered honestly. "Nick, you and Adalind doesn't make sense, I'll agree with that, but sometimes these things don't make sense. I'm not saying it would be easy, but maybe if you are feeling this way, you should at least explore it further. It's not like anything worse than already has happened could happen." It was a hard truth, but Hank was right. "So, what are you suggesting?" Nick asked. "I don't know, does she feel the same way?" Hank answered back. "I'm not sure," Nick said honestly. "We've had a few…" he searched for the words…"emotionally charged moments, so maybe, but I'm not sure." "Well, why don't you ask her out on a date?" Hank asked. Nick laughed, "We live together!" he said. "We are spending plenty of time together." "So," Hank said. "That's not dating. You are living together because it's convenient and makes sense because of the baby. If you ask her out, one, you can figure out if she feels the same way, and two, it will let her know that you are interested. She's probably wondering the same things you are, but she doesn't have anyone to talk to about it." Nick was stunned at his friend's calm, collected, and reasonable advice. "I'll think about," Nick finally said. Hank just smiled. Nick felt much better after talking to Hank, and for the remainder of lunch they just talked normal day-to-day stuff.

Nick drove home from his shift thinking about Hank's advice. Was it really that simple, he thought to himself? Just ask her on a date – then what? It was all just so crazy and complicated. Dating the mother of his child who he not too long ago hated. Adalind had hurt him beyond belief, but he had hurt her too. She had also been supportive of him when his mom died and was really trying to turn her life around. She was literally and figuratively a different person. Nick also couldn't help but feel guilty. Juliette was dead. Could he really already be thinking about moving on? Was that the right thing to do? What would Monroe and Rosalee think? Did he really have feelings for her, or was he just projecting or pretending because of the baby? Did Adalind even feel the same way? A million questions were running through Nick's head. Still, after all the questions – Nick knew one thing was true; the questions weren't going to go away. In fact, they would probably just keep coming. Maybe a date was the answer? Hank was right. If he asked Adalind out, he could at least figure out if she might be experiencing the same things he was by whether she was open to the idea. By the time he pulled up outside the house they were sharing, he had made up his mind. Crazy or not, he was going to do it. It was Friday evening, after all – date night? Right?


	3. The Date

He walked in the house and looked around for Adalind, who was often sitting on the couch watching TV when he got home, but she wasn't there. He gently closed the door behind him. Then, he heard something. Singing? Yes, it was singing. He walked through the house and found Adalind in the nursery, which was still fairly sparse – there were virtually no decorations, but the basics – a crib, dresser and rocking chair. She was folding a load of clothes she had washed and was putting them away in the dresser. She was alternating between humming to herself and singing the words to "Rock-a-bye baby." Nick's breath caught in his throat. It was such a simple scene, but his heart pounded harder than usual. "Hi," he said startling her. She jumped a bit and then laughed. "Hi," she responded. "I was just putting a few things away. It feels so empty in here," she said a bit sadly, which Nick took note of. "I was also practicing my lullabies, very badly I might add. I'm not sure my mom sang them to me. I can't seem to remember all the words." Nick took note of that as well. She wasn't saying it in a way that was intended to make him pity her; she was just stating a fact. Still, he felt both sorry for and connected to her. Adalind and Nick had quite a bit in a common – a childhood filled with abandonment and/or loneliness for one. "We'll have to brush up together," Nick finally said. "I not so familiar with those tunes either." She smiled. "I'll finish this, then we can figure out dinner," she said smiling sweetly and went back to her work. Nick moved to leave her to it, just about to lose his nerve, then thought – well, it's now or never. Just get it over with.

"Adalind?" "Hmmm," she replied not even bothering to look at him as she continued her project. "Do you want to go out to dinner?" "Sure," she responded evenly and kept folding the clothes, not recognizing the invitation as anything more than grabbing food. No that wouldn't do – he realized quickly. Just going out to eat when it was time to eat would not indicate it was a date. They mostly ate at home, but they had grabbed lunch out a few times going to or from her doctor's appointments, so she didn't realize he was actually asking for more than that. Not just grabbing food. "Then, maybe we could go see a movie after?" he added, and his voice sounded a bit nervous. That got her attention. Dinner and a movie, she thought to herself. That's date territory. The thought make her heart skip a beat. She had been feeling more than friendly about Nick lately, but she honestly wasn't sure if it was just the hormones, and certainly not sure if he felt the same way. Nick was a good man, and the acts of kindness he had shown her thus far could simply be that. But now, she stopped what she was doing and turned to look at him cocking her head slightly when she looked at him trying to figure it out. He smiled at her a bit expectantly, and now looked nervous in addition to having sounded nervous. She found the courage to just ask considering the question was silly compared to what they had been through. If she were misreading the situation, they would just laugh it off and move on. "Like on a date?" she finally said slowly. Nick smiled widely at her question. "Yes, like on a date," he answered. Adalind couldn't help but grin. Regardless of where they landed relationship-wise, she was so appreciative that Nick was trying, and it felt great to know he might be interested in her. She was hugely pregnant and not exactly feeling the most attractive these days, so being asked on date made her feel like a giggling teenager. "I would love that," she finally said and could visibly see the relief in Nick's face. "Great," he said. "I'm going to go freshen up." "Okay," she said. "I'll finish this and do the same."

Well, Nick thought to himself as he walked back to his room to shower and change. No going back now. It was out in the open. He and Adalind were going on a date. This was either a great idea – or the worst one ever.

Nick finished getting ready, changing into a button-up shirt and khakis, and sat on the couch in the living room checking movie options and times on his phone waiting for Adalind to get ready. He looked up when he heard her come in about 10 minutes later. She typically dressed pretty nicely, so he wasn't shocked to see her, but she was beautiful all the same. She was wearing a light blue sweater dress that clung to her swollen belly with tall black boots. Her blonde hair was super curly, and her blue eyes were highlighted by smoky make-up. Nick stood to his feet automatically. "You look beautiful," he said before he could stop himself. He meant it, so why not say it. "Thanks," she said smiling and blushed a bit. Nick ran through a few of the movie options and times. They decided on a comedy that was playing at 8:30, which gave them a little more than an hour to eat dinner. For that, they agreed on Thai food. Nick knew a great place right next to the theatre. They walked out the door into the night and towards Nick's car together. He held the door open for her, and then they were off. Dinner was delicious, and they were at ease. Though they had certainly skipped a number of steps along the way, it really did feel like a first date. Nick and Adalind were realizing how little they knew about each other. Nick learned that Adalind had practiced all types of law – from family to real estate to first amendment, and she learned that he and Hank had been friends since they had gone through academy together. They talked and laughed as if the horrors that lurked in the past were non-existent. When they finished up with dinner and made their way to theatre, Nick reached out and took Adalind's hand. She accepted the gesture warmly. He took her hand again once they were settled into their seats in the theatre, and she laid her head on his shoulder snuggling closer. Despite a red flag waving for both of them somewhere in the back of their brains, their hearts were allowing all this to happen – and it felt good and right. Driving home they talked about the movie – both of them had enjoyed it. It was a short ride home, and suddenly, they were back at their house.

They walked inside and both lingered in the hallway that led to both their bedrooms. "I had a really good time," Adalind started. "Thank you, Nick." "I had a good time, too," Nick responded smiling. Then the awkward silence. What to do next? This was not a normal situation. Usually on a first date, you parted ways, but their situation was far from usual. "Well," Adalind finally said not being able to stand the silence any longer, "Good night." She didn't know what else to do or say, so she went with simple and made a move towards her room. "Adalind, wait," Nick said quickly and reached out and grabbed her arm gently turning her back toward him. They both stared at each other for about thirty seconds, and then Nick just let his head follow his heart. He gently grabbed either side of Adalind's face and pulled her toward him for a kiss. She shut her eyes and let him, smiling inside and out as his warm lips touched hers. Thought it wasn't the first time they had kissed, it was a new start. Nick had kissed Adalind several years ago as a way of getting her to bite him and ingest his blood to rob her of her hexenbiest abilities. That certainly didn't count. Then, of course, they had kissed many times while making love when she was pretending to be Juliette – the act resulting in their baby. That didn't count either since Nick didn't know it was her – though looking back, he had to admit to himself that something had seemed different – maybe in a good way – during that tryst. This kiss was the true first – the first kiss where they were both fully aware that the other person was exactly who they were, and more importantly, that they were kissing each other on purpose for the right reasons – just because they wanted to with no ulterior motives.

At first, the kiss was fairly chaste, but it quickly grew more passionate and hungry as Adalind wrapped her hands around Nick's neck and stood on her tiptoes to get as close as she could to him – not the easiest thing with a big pregnant belly, but they were making it work. Nick allowed his hands to wrap about Adalind's back. He didn't consider her pregnancy awkward – truth be told, it turned him on to know his child was inside of her. They kissed for a few minutes before both finally pulling away for air breathing heavily. They looked at each other for a moment then both burst out laughing. "Can't say I could have seen that coming?" She admitted. "Me either," Nick agreed smiling, "But here we are." "Yes, here we are," she said as Nick leaned forward and planted another soft kiss on her lips, then on her nose and then on her forehead as she giggled. "Good night, Adalind." He said. "Good night, Nick," she responded giving him a hug, and then they parted ways to go to their own rooms.

That's all I have so far, but I'm working on a next chapter - let me know if I should continue and/or write a prequel leading up to them living together.


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